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Assange, whose supporters fear he will be sent to the US to be charged over leaking diplomatic cables, entered the embassy in London on June 19 last year.

A police team has been posted outside the embassy at a cost of £11,000 a day in case he tries to escape, but Assange shows no sign of walking out.

Insiders say he is up all night on the internet 'guzzling Coke'. A recent visitor said: 'He looks very thin and gaunt. It looks like he burns the candle at both ends. His skin almost appears bleached, almost transparent.

'It is obvious he has not seen any sunlight for a long time. If you ask him why he is still there, he will just mumble something back at you about “freedom” and his “principles”.'

Support: A crowd gathered outside the embassy in London as the Ecuadorian foreign minister visited Mr Assange nearly a year after he first went into hiding in the building

Security: The police operation to guard the embassy and prevent Mr Assange from escaping has already cost more than £3million

Wanted: Mr Assange faces questioning in Sweden over alleged sex offences but fears he will be extradited from there to the US over WikiLeaks

Asylum: Mr Assange is currently being protected within the Ecuadorian Embassy in London but will be arrested and deported if he steps outside

Last night the
Australian, who is thought to have a personal fortune of £1million, was
pictured smiling as he shook hands with Mr Patino before their meeting.

He said: 'My situation here has been
physically difficult but the staff at the embassy have been really kind
and supportive despite the occasional entertainment outside, whether
they are people chanting or policeman coming down on ropes.'

After the meeting, he went on: 'The minister emphasised his government's continued commitment to support and protect me.

'He set out how he and the Ecuadorian government are actively seeking a solution to my present situation.

'I
remain immensely grateful to the support Ricardo, President (Rafael)
Correa and the people of Ecuador have shown me over the last year.'

Mr
Patino added: 'I have just finished meeting with Julian Assange who is
in good spirits despite the limitations of his accommodation.

'I was able to say face to face to him,
for the first time, that the government of Ecuador remains firmly
committed to protecting his human rights and that we continue to seek
cast iron assurances to avoid any onward extradition to a third state.

'Good spirits': Mr Patino said Mr Assange was doing well, as supporters marked the first anniversary of his stay at the embassy with balloons

'During the meeting we were able to
speak about the increasing threats against the freedom of people to
communicate and to know the truth, threats which come from certain
states that have put all of humanity under suspicion.'

It
is believed at least three Metropolitan Police officers are on guard at
the embassy, which is on the second floor of a building near Harrods in
Knightsbridge, 24 hours a day.

Usually one officer stands on the steps outside, while one waits by the lifts in the communal foyer in case Mr Assange attempts to access the roof and escape by helicopter.

Another stands on an exterior staircase from where they can see the single bed where he sleeps.

It is believed there are always other officers on standby near the embassy in case of any escape attempt.

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The asylum bid that could cost us more than £40m: Julian Assange is prepared to hide in Ecuador's London embassy for NINE YEARS